Element of EarthMain Spell IndexRandom Madness HomeEarth SpellsEarth Magick
Earth Spells
Charm of the Oak
Earth
Perform an Earth Meditation Ritual
Everyday Earth
Spell to Heal the Earth
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Random Madness Home PageEarth Magick
Earth Magick is the most powerful way to become a part of the Earth.
It is not recycling or activism. What Earth magick is, can be summed
up in this way; Earth Magick is the art of becoming one with the
Original God Power that created the Earth. There are many ways to
do this, by spell, by ritual, and by summoning the power directly
from the environment around you. If you are run down you can draw
power and peace from the trees and plants around you. However,
you must first ask permission to do so and bless the plant
or tree once the power has been taken. The actual act of taking
the energy is by reaching out with your will and “breathe” in the
Earth Power. It is revitalizing and relaxing and it eliminates
stress. In directing Earth energy, one simply needs to gather a
stone, some dirt or a leaf from a tree and use it in your ritual
or spell. It adds the “Earth” to your working. Also, you may
create an amulet by taking a stone or other natural item and
charging it for a specific purpose. Some natural items contain
their own “energy” and do not require charging. A four –leaf
clover for instance is said to bring good luck. Also certain
stones, such as load- stones and other semi-precious stones
contain specific magickal properties. Crystals have long
been used in magick as power centers and batteries to store
the power of the Sun as well as power loaded by the magick
user. Burying a spell in the ground is one way to utilize
the Earth Power to accomplish a desired result. Also, you
can call the Earth element into your spell or ritual to
give your goal a “kick” of Earth based energy if the goal
falls under the ruler ship of the element. Some of the
goals ruled by the Earth element are, Good Luck, Finding
Hidden Things, Protection, All Things Relating To Child
Birth, Healing, Stability, Self - Control. There are others
but that is a basic list. The being attributed to this
element is the Gnomes. They are beings that live in the
Earth, but are probable arch types for the Earth Spirit
or Earth Angel. As with all beings or Powers called to
your circle for a specific ritual or tasks be sure to
“banish” or bid them back to their places
in peace and with harm to none.
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Random Madness Home PageEarth Spells
Earth spells are best for material things like money, abundance
and financial prosperity. Other areas that are ruled by elemental
earth are fertility, home, grounding, nature and growth.
Add the solid power of earth to your magick.
You Will Need:
Altar tools such as bowls of salt, earth or a pentacle
Any stones, but particularly aventurine, jet or onyx
Oils and herbs like patchouli, mugwort, vetivert or cypress
Earth spells often include live plants, burying
things in the earth and eating foods.
If you're looking to add some earth energy,
try to use these types of things in your spellwork.
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Random Madness Home PageCharm of the OakPurpose:
This spell is intended as a way to connect to the
deep wisdom and knowledge embodied in the oak tree.
It's a more spiritual and somewhat
intangible spell than most others.
You Will Need:
4 acorns
1 small bag of brown fabric
patchouli oil
1 brown or green candle
Procedure:
Best if you can collect the acorns yourself.
Anoint the candle and the acorns with oil,
and light the candle.
While you hold the acorns in your hands...
Say:
Sacred oak
Blessed seed
Growth and wisdom
Mine indeed
Visualize a mighty oak tree,
and all the things it may have to teach you.
Place the acorns in the bag,
and leave it near the candle.
Let the candle burn out on its own,
and leave the bag somewhere
where you will see it every day.
Opportunities to gain new knowledge
will soon present themselves.
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Random Madness Home PageEarth
Earth is our battery and generator, providing capacity
for growth and solidity. Earth is a particularly
important element for those journeying into magical
realms because earth provides stability, reality
and gravity, Magicians should spend time in the
garden, even if not gardening and barefoot whenever
possible. If this isn,t appealing, play with real
clay [ not synthetic ] or make mud pies like a
child go to the spa and take a mud bath Earth
is considered a Feminine, yin power,
Earth magical power is accessed through the
botanicals that are rooted in Earth, figures
formed from clay and dirt itself, as in graveyard
dirt or crossroads dirt.
Earth sign are Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Perform an Earth Meditation Ritual
Try this simple meditation to help you attune to the element of Earth.
To do this meditation, find a place where you can sit quietly,
undisturbed, on a day when the sun is shining. Ideally,
it should be in a place where you can really connect with
everything that Earth represents. Perhaps it's a hillside
outside of town, or a shady grove in your local park.
Maybe it's somewhere deep in the woods, under a tree,
or even your own back yard. Find your spot,
and make yourself comfortable.
If you haven't read Meditation 101 yet,
go ahead and do so before you begin.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: About an hour
Procedure:
Sit or lie on the ground, so that as much of your
body as possible is in direct contact with the ground.
Use all of your senses to attune to Earth.
Relax your body and breathe slowly, through your
nose, and taking in the scents around you.
You may smell freshly cut grass,
or damp earth, or flowers and leaves.
Close your eyes, and become aware
of the earth beneath your body.
Feel the cool breeze blowing by,
and allow yourself to become in
tune to the rhythms of nature.
Once you are completely relaxed,
focus on the warmth of the sun on your face.
Imagine that warm golden light being
absorbed into your body, through your third eye.
Feel the light of the sun warming your
head and face, a little at a time,
just as the earth is being warmed back up.
Imagine this light working its way along your body,
traveling through your neck, down into your chest,
where your heart chakra is located.
Allow it to warm your heart, then traveling
slowly down through your abdomen
and down to your root chakra.
As this light warms your body,
feel it connecting you to the
ground beneath your body as well.
Imagine this warmth spreading,
a golden glow journeying along your legs,
your knees, and finally to your feet.
By the time the sensation reaches your feet,
you should feel as though your entire body
has been infused with the warmth
and light of the returning sun.
Feel your connection to the earth.
Imagine that warmth growing and spreading
from your body into the ground.
Visualize the awakening roots, seeds,
and other life that is just below the surface.
Share your warmth and light with them,
and feel your own roots growing into the soil.
Feel the stability and security of the earth beneath you.
Keep your breathing even and regular,
and enjoy the sensation of being one with the
soil, the grass, and even the rocks below.
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Random Madness Home PageEveryday Earth
When you think of “Earth” what comes to mind? Perhaps you feel
the stable element of solidity and grounding.
Or maybe you see Earth as the third planet from the Sun.
Or for you, is Earth the rich brown soil in your own backyard?
Earth is all these things and more.
(One of the great things about “poly” theism is the ability to
look at many aspects of an idea.) We often see Earth in
vague macro terms, but we should not ignore the simple
parts of everyday Earth that we see and touch each day.
You may find that all these different sides of Earth –
the element, the planet and the everyday things around us —
all fit together like a beautiful mosaic.
Earth as an Element:
Earth is a term we use to describe one of four very basic
forces in nature. We call these basic forces “elements”
since they are the building blocks that make up just about
everything around us. (Think about it — you learned the
basics in “Elementary School.”) While Earth is a very
personal thing for each of us, it is usually thought
of as being very stable. Tangible. Steady. Someone who might
wish to maintain status quo or slow down change in their
life might think of the element of Earth. Earth might also
be used to strengthen something, making it solid as a rock.
Think of the three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas.
While watery liquids may slip through your fingers;
airy gas might float beyond reach, but something solid
is easy to grasp. Earth can be the malkuth of tangible
actions, where the rubber meets the road in deed not
just words or thought. For example, if you wanted to
use the element of Earth to build a museum, you might
take physical, tangible action — actually lay the brick –
rather than merely signing a petition or dreaming about a plan.
See the difference? Fire sparks the idea;
air thinks about how to do it;
water greases the wheels –
but Earth actually makes it take real form.
Elements are rarely pure.
For example, our own bodies are solid,
but also mixed with fluids,
combined with both the breath
and spark of life in order to survive.
We are a mix.
What role does Earth play in your own body?
How is this like other parts of nature?
Can understanding your body
teach you about other parts of life,
like how the trees grow together or how rivers flow?
Elements are not stand-alone concepts; they combine
and react with one another. In the early 1500s Agrippa
wrote that elements can be transformed into one another,
like the way salt dissolves in water or a wooden log
burns away. Can we apply this principle to magically
transform our own situation? Are there obstacles in
your own life you’d like to dissolve?
Are there problems you’d like to just burn away?
Is there something flowing past you so quickly
you wish you could freeze it still – just for a moment?
Perhaps elemental magic works no differently than the
things we see around us every day. See this transformation
as you strive to change a few extra pounds into a few
extra push-ups. Feel it as the warmth within your own
heart melts away even the coldest barriers
between you and someone you love.
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People react and combine just like Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
You may even find that we pass through elemental phases as we
grow up along life’s path. This may help you better understand
why some people are blown from place to place with the wind
until they mature, become more rooted and stable in their ways.
Can you see the elements in your everyday interactions with people?
Can this help you understand what makes people tick?
Some magical systems look at the elements in a hierarchy,
where we are their master and they are our magical servants.
I disagree. To me, elements are aspects of Deity.
My own personal view of the Divine is the sum total
of everything – all the piece-parts – past, present and future.
To me, this makes Earth, Air, Fire and Water aspects
of the Goddess and God. Next time you are in ritual,
notice whether people greet the elements with reverence,
or command them in booming voices, like calling a pet from
the yard. How do you see the elements?
How does Earth differ from the others?
We use symbols for Earth in a variety of magical tools.
In the Tarot, the suit of Pentacles or Coins represents Earth.
While both Pentacles and Coins are round circular objects that
might symbolize the Earth merely in shape, lets look further.
A Pentacle is an interesting choice, since the five-pointed
star is often described as symbolic of all four elements,
plus a fifth – Spirit. This is a wonderful description
of the diverse Earth, since our world’s land, sea,
air and flame contain all of these forces!
The Tarot’s use of Coins as a symbol of Earth may date back
to agricultural times, where wealth and abundance came via
the harvest as financial support for the village. A simpler
idea is the Rune symbol Fehu, which also is a symbol
of abundance, and comes from the same root as the word
“fee.” Some might say Fehu’s F-shape represents the horns
on a head of cattle. Cattle as a symbol of Earth?
Just look to the Zodiac, where the fixed Earth sign
is Taurus the Bull! If you were creating your own
symbol for Earth today, what would it be?
In ritual, we often associate directions with elements.
For many, Earth is North. Why? My guess is that elemental
directions probably fit the geography and beliefs of the
people who made the system up. These people looked around
and developed a system that felt right. (And ever since,
other people have merely followed this tradition, repeating
what they were taught.) To me, in my own geography
and beliefs, I live on the east coast of North America.
When I look to the West, I see 3,000 miles of continental land.
Guess which direction I associate with Earth? The point is,
you don’t have to use any direction just because you are
taught that way. There may be times when Earth feels like
facing the place you consider home, or facing the Rocky Mountains,
or maybe facing that big ol’ Oak tree you’ve always loved.
What works best for you? To paraphrase the Japanese
philosopher-poet Basho, (1644-1694) “Seek not to follow in your elders’
footsteps. Instead, seek what they sought.” You may one day feel that
it really doesn’t matter which direction is which.
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Likewise, in ritual we often assign colors to the elements:
Green for Earth, green like things that grow! Perhaps you see
Earth as a different color? Brown like the soil,
or yellow like the daffodils, or sea-blue like
the way Earth would look from space? Our planet is a very
colorful place; feel free to use whatever hue best suits your magical
palette! (Remember this the next time your favorite nine-year old
artist colors a purple horse.)
Earth as a Planet:
We sprang from this planet and are nourished by it, so we use a
maternal analogy and call Her “Mother Earth.” Every bit of food
we eat, every drop of water we drink, every breath we take –
and all we leave behind – are parts of Earth’s ecosystem.
As a planet, the Earth is also a grand elemental mix.
Our world contains not just “solid” Earth, but the blue oceans,
rivers and streams. Besides solid and liquid,
Earth also holds fiery volcanoes, fierce and virile, building
great pressure over time until they cannot be contained.
They erupt suddenly, shooting their molten streams of lava
and fire…and then settle down to rest. A wise friend once
reminded me that as a planet, Earth constantly moves and flows.
Its fault-lines naturally quake; its winds naturally whirl
and storm with great motion. Like any living breathing being,
the Earth by no means is stationary.
When thinking about the Earth, don’t limit yourself to seeing
just the sphere. Remember to include its gaseous aura,
the Earth’s atmosphere, which surrounds our planet.
Just like you have an aura glowing around you,
the Earth wears a gaseous cloak around itself.
What can we learn from this? Perhaps it is the nature
of things to have a primary object in the middle surrounded
by a sort of ethereal glow. Remember this the next time
an aroma from your fresh-baked apple pie fills your entire home.
Things often stretch out beyond their shell.
“Atmosphere” is not limited to airy things.
It can be anything that glows, like the warmth
of a campfire felt by the people that orbit around
its flame. Even the visible light that things reflect
is a type of glow. Because of the visible light reflected,
I can see the mountain-tops for miles! (Now that’s atmosphere!)
The physical object sits where it sits, but its glow shines out
much farther. What “glow” do you project? What glow can you sense
from others and from your surroundings?
In addition to its gaseous atmosphere, the Earth wears an
electrical cloak as well, called the “magnetosphere.” This
electromagnetic field is generated by the Earth’s two-fold core.
The outer core is liquid, made of molten iron and nickel.
But due to immense pressure, the inner core is solid.
As the liquid swirls around the solid core, it generates
a magnetic charge creating Earth’s electrical aura.
This too is quite dynamic. Even the magnetic North Pole is
not a single fixed point, according to the Canadian
Government’s Commission Geologique,
but rather the pole moves up to 15 kilometers each year!
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An aura, an outer crust, a mid-layer mantle, inner liquids,
and a solid core… Perhaps Earth shows us that the nature of
things often comes in layers.
Does this sound like anything else? An egg? An orange?
Perhaps a city with a busy downtown, surrounded by the
suburbs and rural countryside? Do the Earth’s layers
resemble your own body — complete with your magnetic aura,
your aromatic aires, an outer skin (upon which your furry
forest might grow), a warm fleshy middle, with a solid core
right down to the bone? What else comes in layers?
Getting to know someone? Understanding complex concepts?
Looking at one thing in nature can remind
us that other things often work the same way.
Our own bodies have chakras or special energy centers.
Does the Earth? Perhaps our world has special sites
that buzz like chakras. Can that explain why we feel
some places are high-energy? The poles? The Rain Forest?
Sedona? Mount Everest? The shore?
I have often wondered if there is a connection between
the fact that the same small patch of desert in the
mid-east that gave birth to many of the major religions
(i.e. Christianity, Islam, Judaism) is the same place
where we get the majority of our energy from fuel oil.
What chakras can you see in your own personal surroundings?
Is there a focal point within your community?
Does your own home have certain unique energy points?
In the kitchen, bedroom, or nursery — perhaps the “altars”
we use most often are not the ones with statues
and chalices upon them. Magic happens most
often in very everyday places!
What else can we learn by looking at planet Earth?
Our home is the third planet in a system of nine worlds.
(And you wonder why things often come in threes?)
All these worlds orbit the Sun; most have their own
moons also in orbit. Perhaps it is the nature of small
things to orbit around greater things. If so,
this can help us understand a great many parts
of life where small things circle around larger ones —
from education, to economics, to group dynamics,
and even religion. What great things do you orbit around?
And what revolves around you?
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If planet Earth has a Spirit,
do the other planets have Spirit too?
If so, how do they interact with the Earth,
and with us? What chemistry exists within this
pantheon of planets circling the same Sun?
Perhaps the chemistry between planets is one
way to view the influence of astrology.
In the children’s book “Planet Earth”
(Martyn Bramwell, Franklin Watts Publishing, 1987, New York)
the chapter on our solar system is entitled
“The Sun and its Family.” Children’s books often make valid
points in the simplest terms and may be the most magical
books you will ever read! You are part of your family,
and your family is part of society as a whole.
Likewise our solar system is one of many in this galaxy,
one of many galaxies in a very vast universe.
And we — you and me — are part of it all!
Each of us is connected to this grand whole,
like the way your little finger is connected
to your arm and your arm is connected to your whole body.
It’s a part of you. And likewise, you are a part of the
vast “Family of All Things.” Seeing this might offer
comfort in times where you feel isolated, alone and cut-off.
Don’t be scared by the vastness of “all things.”
You don’t have to think about it all at once.
Start by noticing that familiar feeling you have
when you sleep in our own comfortable bed.
Know what I mean? It just feels like home,
a part of you. Try looking at how you feel connected
to sentimental objects, old jewelry, keep-sakes,
photos or whatever items you consider most sacred
and magical. If you are connected to these items,
can you feel some way you are connected to other
things too? All parts of this Earth are linked to you —
every branch, every leaf, every ant upon the hill.
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All things are alive. Talk to your house, your yard,
your car, your dinner — and listen just in case
they talk back! Try it with not just your own sentimental items,
but with strangers you encounter
along your path, new places, new things. If you can find a
connection to all things in some way, nothing is beyond your reach!
You already have a link to every goal, every dream, every person,
place and thing you could ever imagine. Use it.
We often say that modern-day culture has forgotten
its connection to the Earth. If that is true,
then such a culture will certainly feel disconnected
from the cosmos! But over time, things are changing.
Our culture is shifting to seek harmony with nature.
More and more each year, people are drawn to things
that help reconnect them to the Earth, such as today’s
Paganism and other forms of Earth Spirituality.
Other reconnections might be as subtle as popular
trends towards natural food. Think about it.
What makes you feel more connected to the Earth –
a fresh crispy carrot from your garden,
or a polysorbate-hydrogenated-yellow #
3 cheese-flavored doodle from a plastic bag?
Since we all spring from the Earth,
perhaps it is no accident that the
Old ways are making a come-back now –
when the Earth’s ecosystem is under attack.
Living things often change to seek balance,
to adapt. We sweat to cool ourselves down;
we shiver to warm ourselves up.
Does the Earth do the same?
If so, can these changes explain why society
changes over time? If we are of this Earth,
perhaps we go through seasons of change no
different than the leaves on the tree.
If you believe in an Earth Religion,
how has this spiritual path influenced
the way you treat the world? Its living
creatures? Its natural surroundings?
Do you see recycling as a religious act?
Conserving? Voting?
If so, why? How are your own everyday actions –
your job, your homelife, your love for others –
part of the Earth?
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Perhaps social trends are part of Earth’s own metabolism,
rising and falling within the Earth’s own cycles.
If so, our wish to care for the environment might
be like Earth’s antibodies fighting the disease of
pollution. Perhaps culture reflects the Earth’s cycle
between creative periods, followed by destructive ones,
creatively renewed again over time. Why not? This isn’t
far off from other cycles. If you see society linked
to Earth’s own cycles, does this give you a new perspective
on history — including both our shining accomplishments
as well as our darkest misfortunes? Can it help us understand
cultural beliefs that might differ from our own?
All people — whether naughty or nice — are Children
of the Earth. If social trends are part of Earth’s cycles,
we might even use history to predict where we as a people
are headed! Look back over the last thousand years.
What parts of history speak to you?
Where do you think we will be in five years?
Twenty? A hundred? What signs make you feel this way?
Earth in Your Everyday Life:
Revering the Earth, in all its forms,
is not limited to your religious practice.
All parts of your life can be sacred and magical!
The Earth is your breakfast, your back yard,
your neighbors. Is there anything you might
touch that is not part of the Earth?
We are most familiar with the parts of the
Earth closest to us. See the Earth in your own
“village” and even in the patch of ground upon
which your home is built. When you eat from your
garden, you take in a bit of the specific land
upon which you reside. If you don’t have a garden,
you can still enjoy locally grown produce.
Where I live, we pride ourselves on local corn
and tomatoes! What does your region have to offer?
Is your bay filled with fresh crabs?
Do you live near where steers are raised,
or maybe where the salmon swim? Experiment
with the geography in foods. Get to know your
local delicacies, but also reach out across
the globe. We live in an age where we can sip
Italian Chianti squeezed from grapes grown on
the same land where Leonardo Da Vinci dreamt
of great flying machines or where Michelangelo
chiseled great works of art. We can enjoy Earth’s
olives picked not far from the ancient
Greek temples of Aphrodite. We can pour rich
dark ale brewed on the same isle as Stonehenge.
Near or far, Earth is a wonderful place!
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Gnomes, faeries, elves et al. We have age-old
tales of Earthly spirits inhabiting the woodlands.
While I do not believe in little green men,
nor winged Tinkerbells –
I do feel the Dear Ones that bring a wooded place to life.
During a recent walk in the woods, someone dear to me
shared her own definition of Earth Spirits. She explained
to me that the forest is made up of unique individual
beings – each tree, each flower – is as unique a life as I am.
I often forget that individual Spirits reside in the very
place we spread our picnic blanket.
I often forget that the wooden beams in my living room,
or even my kitchen table, once came from something alive,
a specific tree, one that may have even had a name
given to it by local tree-climbing kiddies at play.
And like we have our own by-gone ancestors,
each tree and flower sprang from its own individual set
of genetic parents, and grandparents, and so on…
We live and walk upon the brown Earthy humus of past life forms.
Perhaps it is no accident that the word humus, the rich outer
layer of soil where plants grow and later decompose,
comes from the same Indo-European root as the words
human and humility. This reminds us
that we too are of the humus.
Earth can be found in the language we use everyday.
Next time you hear the phrase “down to Earth”
think about the words and what they mean.
Other languages are just as Earthy as our own.
For example, in Holland the Dutch use the term
Aard Appel to describe a potato.
This term literally means “Earth Apple.”
The Old English/Germanic word Earth is unique since
it is the only planet not named after a Greek or
Roman Deity. Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry,
authors of “The Universe Story”
(Harper, 1992, San Francisco) marvel at the
idea of naming planets after Deities since the
creation and actions of planets are still quite
a mystery to science! But our planet has many names.
The Norwegians call it Jorda; the Finns call it Maa.
(Ma? How maternal can you get!) In Russian,
Earth is Zemlja; in Latin it is Terra.
Since Latin is familiar to us,
we can see that words like territory,
terrace and terrain all have Earthy roots.
But so does the word terrier, which describes
a dog prone to digging holes! Even the word mundane
is rooted in the Latin word mundus, the world.
(See, mundane things really are magical after all!)
The Hopi Indians wrote a song called “The Earth is Our Mother,
We Must Take Care of Her.” An interesting concept!
In what specific way did the “Earth” give birth to you?
In my case, Mother Earth is a kind-hearted woman with lovely
green eyes, who met my Father in a small-town roller skating rink.
This particular aspect of Mother Earth bore two girls and two boys;
I am the youngest. If you revere the Earth as your Mother,
can you revere your own Mother as the Earth?
As the Hopi say, we must take care of her.
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How else can Earth be seen in everyday terms? We often ritualize
a form of libation, where we might reverently spill a sip from the
chalice onto the ground, or maybe return a morsel of food
back to the Earth. What if we did that not just in Circle,
but on other occasions? Next Thanksgiving,
pass a small plate around the table and ask each person
to contribute a taste from their own dish.
Take your collection and place it outside in the yard.
Any meal can become a ritual, whether a simple crumble
from your lunch-bag sandwich,
or a romantic gesture during a candle-lit dinner for two.
Conclusion:
Earth, like most broad Spiritual concepts, can have many meanings.
So do Air, Fire, Water – or just about anything else you might
see as magical and sacred. Try to step back a bit from traditional
teachings and cultural norms. (You may find that a mosaic becomes
a bit clearer when viewed from a distance.) Look at things from
a variety of angles. Look for how these magical forces manifest
in very simple ways within your own surroundings.
Often we draw the boundary between magical
and mundane; nature does not.
Earth by no means is stationary
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Random Madness Home PageSpell to Heal the Earth
1 small seed
Procedure:
Plant a small tree, bush or local flower from seed.
Bless the soil it is placed in, bless the water
you use on it and allow it full
moonlight when the Moon is full.
When it is strong enough, take it to a place where it is
native and will not upset the ecosystem.
Do not plant herbs as they can be destructive.
As you plant it...
Say:
Gentle Goddess, mighty Earth
take this offering of mine
Blessings I shower upon your Earth
And heal you in the fullness of time.
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